I agree also with the previous pposters and would like to add that the 2nd grade curriculum focuses more on foundational skills with phonics, word attack skills, word work, blending, sound spelling cards etc. . . especially at the beginning of the year. If you are in a state like I am ( CA ) the adopted curriculum does not include nearly enough phonetic guidance and practice in their core program for 2nd and we supplement a great deal. I am currently a reading intervention teacher and we hit phonics hard in 2nd and 3rd grade for rti. I did love teaching third grade too. I loved how we could dive deeper into various aspects of comprehension. Close reading is a difficult concept for 2nd graders to wrap their heads around. Many of then are still learning to read and are not quite ready to read to learn. Good luck with your decision. I loved the change .